By Andrew Chen

I hate HTML. To many computer programmers, it is the simple language used to make web pages on the World Wide Web. However, as an HTML illiterate student, I could never create a home page that did not have any major flaws on it.

Then I discovered an easy way to design a home page without knowing HTML. With the assistance of several software programs, I was finally able to create a simple home page with cool links on it. The four programs that enabled me to do so are shown in the information box to the right. There are also many other programs on the World Wide Web which can help you build a more sophisticated web page. Two well-known programs for HTML editing are Microsoft's FrontPage and Sausage Software's Hot Dog. However, mastering these programs requires a significantly greater time investment.

If you just want a very simple home page, just use Netscape Gold 3.0 and the Netscape Page Wizard. First, download and install Netscape Gold 3.0 onto your computer. Next, go to the page wizard on Netscape's website http://home.netscape.com/assist/net_sites/starter/wizard/index.html. You should see the web browser split into three frames. Then move down the right screen and click on the Start button. The left window should now give you simple instructions on how to build your own web page. With Netscape's Java enabled Page Wizard, you can make a colorful home page with a fancy title, a short introduction, a small set of Hot Links, and an exciting conclusion. After you have made your choices, click on the Build button.

The web browser's frames will disappear and you should see your self-designed home page in its entirety. At the bottom of your web page, you will also see a Netscape icon and a message that says, "This page created with Netscape Navigator Gold."

If you still want to change something on the page, click the Back button on the web browser and click the Build button after you have made the corrections. Once you like the design of your page, click the Edit button on the web browser toolbar.

You should then see a window pop up in the middle of the screen. First, click on the Save button. This will take you to a second window with a warning about copyright laws. Since the page you just designed using the page wizard does not have copyrighted images, just click OK. Then you will see a third window appear with the word "yourpage" in the box. Now decide which directory you want to place this file and click the Save button. (To minimize confusion, save "yourpage" in a new folder.) After downloading your homepage, use WS-FTP 32 to put your home page in your Cunix account. First, load WS-FTP 32 and type in your Columbia email address and your password. You will then see a box with two windows. The left window is your hard drive and the right window is your Cunix account. Click on the button "MkDir" on the right side and type in the box "public_html" (no quotation marks). Then, double click on the directory "public_html" twice. The right window should now be empty.

Now, search in the left box for the file "yourpage.htm." Once you find it, click on it once and hit the Rename button right next to the left window. Rename the file "index.html" (again, no quotation marks). Hit return and then click on the arrow pointing to the right. Your home page should now be in your Cunix account. Don't forget to place any special images that are in your home page folder; without them, your home page will have missing pictures.

Once you've saved your HTML file and images into the public_html folder of your Cunix account, you're done! Just double check your work.

Use Netscape and type in your home page address: http://www.columbia.edu/~(your email address) For example, if your email address is [email protected], type in http://www.columbia.edu/~awc16. After you've double checked your home page, email your friends. (Don't forget to tell them about all the grueling hours you spent learning HTML!)

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